DmC: Finding Paradiso
by BrittBailey
Summary: Months after Mundus' Defeat by Dante, Limbo City is gradually coming to peace. However, demons are still hiding in the Human World. While Dante believes he's doing justice by eliminating them, a new perspective of a Demon Mother and her Child come to him in an unpredictable way. Somehow, he didn't expect anything like these two to actually exist.
1. Red

DmC: Devil May Cry (c) CAPCOM

Fan Fiction and Fan Characters Gemma and Braith (c) NinjaLink

_Note: These are just Fan Characters; any insult or no true critique will not be tolerated. I'm a person who respects other FCs, no matter how perfect, balanced, or boring they appear. I will respect you; please respect me._

* * *

**Chapter 1: Red**

It was corrupted; and yet still in faith and determination, Limbo City was gradually up to par in resurrection. The once destroyed homes and apartments were rejuvenating and businesses were out of foreclosure. The city folk found peace from the demons that were had strayed away by a lone savior. Everyone knew him by his infamous reputation, but no one knew he really was a hero, thanks to the formerly deceased Bob Barbas. Even though he was an unsung hero, he purposely avoided craves of attention; he instead walked the streets for any demons in hiding, waiting to prey on humans.

It was months after he fought the demon lord Mundus and fought his brother Vergil. It was a bittersweet ending along with staying in little touch with his spiritually-inclined partner, Kat. She wanted to find a way to continue keeping humans non-docile and weak; she told Dante, the unsung hero, she will keep fighting for freedom and find Vergil. Dante just smiled at her at the time and wished her luck; he felt staying here in Limbo City was more important at the moment. He really believed Vergil would come back again to this desolate city.

Dante walked on the downtown streets, minding his own thoughts while low-income business owners and families were rebuilding their beloved city. It was the ghetto of all places and why he chose to hang around here seemed to be because most demon sightings have lingered here. He thought of the humans here as poor bastards, knowing they were all blinded by Mundus's rule. The only thing he understood from the people was they immediately believed in demons because of their sudden outbreak.

Luckily for him, he found a trailer in mediocre condition at Bellevue Pier like his last home, but the refurbishment needed work. He suddenly passed by several homeless folk with grocery carts and plastic bags in their hands. They smelled of week-old garbage odor and damp clothes. He held his nose with the palm of his hand and cringed at the scent. He thought of why most of the town persons were rebuilding while there were these people just sitting around, begging for money or high from abused substances. He frowned on them, thinking they could at least offer a hand. Something was odd about them though; they appeared almost beaten and frail. He ignored the thought afterwards though.

Suddenly, a high-pitch cry was called out. Dante stopped and listened. The cry seemed like an infant's, but to think a child was in trouble in this side of town was beyond comprehension. He started to run, listening carefully for the holler coming from a dirty alley. It grew louder and louder and when he stopped, he saw a tall man kicking a woman in her head.

In a glance, there was a child in her arms, screaming. Dante stood for a moment to observe this situation; maybe it was just a domestic violence like any other and would end with the woman fighting back. The women in this part of town weren't pushovers, as far as he knew. But the woman sat there, shielding her child with her arms and her back facing the man. Her black hair started to knot and was considerably long for a homeless woman. Her legs were tucked under her and her horribly-torn, dirty trench coat was ripped on ends. The child, no older than possibly two-years-old, continued to cry.

"It's okay-Braith! He's go-oing away! Aah! AAAHH!" She let out a rash voice, feeling a stinging sensation in the back of her head. The man didn't stop, but laughed at the woman instead. His intimidation was headstrong and broad; it sickened Dante. Hitting a woman, as a man, wasn't much of an exception from Dante's experience, but an innocent woman with a child seemed too far.

"I'm not leaving until you and that brat are dead!" The man hollered, "You and the rest of those homeless fucks are useless! Begging and shit ain't helpin' this town! Get the fuck up, woman!" He kicked the woman once more and she feel forward from the impact. She winced in aching pain, but her strength to hold her daughter in her arms stayed confident.

"Hey!" Dante finally called out, "Don't you have a town to rebuild than pick on some lady and her kid?!" The man, eyes red and rugged, looked at Dante. He took notice of the white hair and long black jacket he wore. He chuckled manically and placed his dirty boot on the woman's back.

"Who the hell are you?! Stay out of this!" The aggressive attacker hollered, "Pieces of shit like this bitch and spawn don't deserve to stay alive!" The anger in the man's voice cringed Dante's spirit with hate. Dante gritted his teeth and charged at the man, tackling him with brute force. The man flew back to the alley's dead end wall. The building cracked under pressure from the man's impact. Dante could hear the man curse under his breath.

"Get the fuck out of here, you worthless shit!" Dante yelled at the man, who suddenly scavenged to his feet and ran off. The woman cautiously looked up at her attacker running away and then up at Dante. His back was turned, but his white hair stood out. She coughed to clear her throat, which grabbed Dante's attention. When he made eye contact, her brown eyes were circled with dark, sleepy bags and her pale, sickly complexion was more convincing that she was a homeless woman. There was something off about this woman though, Dante thought.

"Can you stand?" He asked. She didn't utter a word, but stood to her feet slowly. The ache in her head tinged like a thread and she cringed. Her trench coat was musty at the torn ends and her denim jeans were scrapped. In her arms, her child, wearing a small grey hoodie over her head, was feeble.

"Thank you…" She managed to croak from her throat. Her gaze at her savior was stoic, yet warming. It was an assurance from him that made her feel better. She avoided his gaze to speak again.

"That man wanted to have his way when I asked him for money." She explained hesitantly, "I told him no…" Dante heard her speak, but he couldn't stop staring at her eyes. Although they were brown, something about them weren't right. He focused his attention on them and suddenly it dawned on him. He pulled his pistol Ivory out and pointed it at the woman's forehead.

"What in the shitting hell are you doing here, demon?" He asked in command. Her gaze met his and the gun frightened her. She adjusted her arms around her child again and took a step back. The reason he held his gun at her now after saving her life surprised her.

"Demon?! I-I-" She couldn't start. But what he said was true; her eyes spoiled the surprise. It was her pupils; although everything else of her eyes looked normal, her pupils were triangle and brown, not round and black. She closed her eyes, thinking of the possibilities this man had in his hands now. Water began to form around her eyes.

"I asked you a question! Is that kid even yours or is it your next meal?!" Dante cocked his gun and held his finger tight on the trigger. The question suddenly angered the woman. She was insulted.

"Fuck you! This is MY DAUGHTER! How dare you say that, you prick!" She yelled and the sudden movement she made caused the infant's hood to fall off. Dante was surprised to see the child, not because she looked human enough, but her bright red hair stood out. It almost seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't focus on why it did.

"Then what are you doing here?" He asked, still staring at her with doubt and no remorse. The gun still pointed at the woman's head, but then the child turned to look at the man. Her brown eyes matched her mother's. Dante then knew she wasn't lying, but still wanted answers.

"…I'm just trying to survive in this world…with my daughter!" The woman answered, scared and looked at Dante in the eyes again. She was shaking and she knotted her knees together to stop the jitters. Dante didn't want to take that as her official answer, so he took a step forward and pointed the gun at the infant.

"Do you know what I do to demons like you? I get rid of them." His statement caught the mother. She stared at Dante's eyes and then his hair and last at his attire. She finally understood who this man was.

"Please don't! You must be…Dante." She stated. Dante frowned at her. His name wasn't best known by demons, just his image, but she seemed to comprehend better than most. Maybe she was a little different after all. Although her appearance was human, her eyes were too much of a giveaway.

"How do you know my name?" He asked, slightly lowering his gun. The woman's eyes widened with surprise. Then she furrowed her brows and frowned.

"So it's true!" She exclaimed, "Dante! The Nephilim who destroyed Limbo! You owe us a home! This is all your fault!" Dante was astonished she accused him of such a demand, but stood his ground. He wasn't going to let this demon in woman flesh throw him off.

"Yeah the fuck right! What makes you think I'd help you out?! Fuckin' demon and her demon child! I don't owe you anything!" His words caught the infant's attention and she stared at the man with her doe eyes. Dante looked down at the little girl in the woman's arms. Her mother intervened with a statement.

"She's only a Halfling! She's half-human…" Her remark didn't seem to catch Dante. That red hair and brown eyes seemed all too familiar now for him. This woman and child are different than he compared a moment ago. This mother stated she was just trying to survive and the child didn't appear to act evil or demonic. She was quiet and would stare at this man with no fear or threat. There as something about these two that he didn't like, considering they were demons, but they understood better than the other demons he encountered.

"…Why do I 'owe' you a home?" He asked while putting his pistol back in the holster. The woman eased in stature and looked him in the eye. Eye contact seemed important currently to establish trust and honesty. She wasn't sure if he'd pull his gun out again and officially shot her.

"Because after you defeated Mundus, Limbo and the human world collided together. You should already know that. Now, I'm stuck living with these stupid demons, even humans, constantly agonizing us because we're what they call homeless! I didn't choose to live this life! Not for me or my daughter Braith!" Dante heard the little girl's name: Braith. It was a human name for sure; even though she was a Halfling, she wasn't referred by her demon name by her demon mother. He couldn't comprehend this demon, but she seemed kindhearted unlike other creatures. Dante stood silent for a moment, staring at Braith, the red head little girl, who was staring back at him. He believed he didn't owe the woman anything, but to have a docile demon child like this one supposedly deserved some sort of salvation.

"What's your name then?" He asked, sliding his hands into his pockets. The woman cleared her throat and stood up straight. The reason why she did this seemed unreasonable after her beating in the head, but being a demon seemed to have its benefits then.

"Gemma…my name is Gemma." She said and looking down at her daughter, "This is Braith…say hi, baby." Her daughter didn't speak, but risen her tiny hand to Dante and started to wave. Dante smirked at the child and looked up at Gemma. His gaze was serious to her than to Braith. Gemma took note.

"This isn't out of pity or the fact I feel I owe you anything." Dante walked up to Gemma, "But I'm not going to have a starving child dying be on my conscious. Come on." He then walked past her and out of the alley. He acted so casual now that it was unusual to Gemma. She swallowed the dry spell in her throat, picked up a large, ratty brown diaper bag over her shoulder, and slowly followed Dante.

"Do you…are you…"

"Don't ask; just follow." He said and turned onto the sidewalk. His strut looked normal, as though he wasn't bothered by a demon woman and Halfling child were following him. Gemma stared at Dante from behind, gazing mostly at his white hair. She didn't believe making him do as she commanded was easy like that. She didn't believe she'd meet this man. The man named Dante who she blamed destroyed her world. She didn't speak another word while keeping her distance from him.


	2. Home

**Chapter 4: Difference  
**

The restaurant was musty, but the decorations and structure seemed stable. The only problems with this pizza place were its shattered windows and a few broken chairs. The tan paint on the walls had a faint glow and the trimmings had grapes and vines for design. It felt foreign and dirty at the same time. The destruction from Mundus' terror impacted the city as a whole, but it was unbelievable that some architecture, such as this one, was still stable. This part of town surprisingly was more active than where they were after Gemma's job interview.

"You're not going to eat?" Dante asked as he held a slice of pizza in his hands. Across from him, Gemma stared at the pie with her hands on her lap. Next to her was Braith who contently ate the food in tiny bites. Gemma looked up at Dante.

"You said you had questions for me." She started, "What are they?" Dante bit into his food and chewed; he stared out the window and at the bar counter where a few workers stood, chatting amongst themselves. He looked at her.

"That demon said you took my name. What did that mean?" He asked. His voice secreted seriousness.

"For the interview, I used…your reputation name: Son of Sparda." She continued, "I said my name was Gemma Sparda. She told me I didn't have a last name written on my application." She avoided his stare by looking at her food. He frowned.

"Why didn't you?"

"I never needed one. At least, when I started living as a human, it never occurred to me. I've only lived as a human for two years before you…killed Mundus." She picked up her pie slice and instead of eating, she started to pick off the pepperoni and tossed them on her plate. Her statement made Dante think more; this female demon had so many secrets and he wanted to know all of them. As far as he knew, she was a demon living in disguise as a human with her hybrid child. This new information made Dante want to ask more.

"Why did you start pretending to be human? What kind of demon are you? Did you work for that bastard Mundus then?" He asked and took another bite from his pizza. The questions had pause Gemma. She didn't expect him to ask so much or want to know more of her. He was just her temporary shelter until she obtained a job. But guessing from the attachment Braith made with Dante, she couldn't abandon her daughter's wishes. She put her pepperoni-free pizza down onto her plate and looked at Dante. He was staring at her with his pizza cheese stringing down from the crust.

"No, I didn't 'work' for that so-called demon king. I'm a Stygian under this skin, an elite fighter in the circle's rank. Although, it may be hard to believe, it was easy to wear this disguise." She added, "…I became human for personal reasons. I don't want to talk about it." She looked at Braith, still nibbling on her pizza, and then out the window. A few people walked by, cheerfully talking about the restoration of the neighborhood and nonsense.

Dante was searching Gemma's face for hidden answers in her reaction. She was a Stygian, just like the demons from earlier. That might explain the stretch marks on her hips and thighs from last night, but she had a cesarean scar under her belly. From what he remembered, Lilith's child spawned in enormous amounts of flesh from her back. Yet Gemma's skin looked clean and smooth compared to that wench. All of it did except that disfigured scar on her body.

"You became human for personal reasons, heh?" Dante said, "The 'dying demon plague' I started was too much for you or what?" He joked and finished his slice of pizza. Gemma looked at him and he had a smirk on his face. She returned the smirk and shook her head.

"No, it wasn't that." She replied, "It just felt like…hell." She muttered and rested her elbow on the table. Her hand found her cheek and she cradled her cheek in her palm. Dante continued staring at her; her pale skin had glimmer a tinge of purple, but highlighted her cheekbones. She looked young, but the bags under her eyes told a different story. He was curious again.

"How old are you, Gemma?"

"What?" She looked at him in surprise. It was such a straightforward question; it caught her off-guard.

"You heard me. What color panties are you wearing?"

"That's not what you said!" He laughed and grabbed another slice from the pizza platter. She frowned first, but smiled at him.

"I asked how old you are." He said, "Like, are you 100 years old or something?"

"I'm 26." She replied, casual about her answer. Dante tilted his head in shock. He made a face at her. She didn't smile or frown, but stared at him.

"No fucking way." He said, "I'm 23. How are you only a few years older than me? Aren't demons supposed to be older than the hills?"

"I'm 26 if you convert my 'demon age' into human years." She answered, "Demons generally don't age, Dante. I'm sure you've seen them all; they all don't have wrinkles unless they were made that way. Plus, demons don't go by 'human' time;' Limbo was scheduled by circles."

"Circles? What does that mean?" His curiosity made Gemma feel annoyed, but it was interesting to see him so enticed by her heritage.

"Uh…well, time technically stands still in Limbo, right? Time is actually there; it's just very slow. I supposed the circle might be…about a century long? I don't know. For example, I have lived through about 3 circles of Limbo, so I'm…?" She waved her hand at him for his answer. He gave her a dumbfound look. Braith gave her mother a content disposition, looking as though she wanted to know what they were talking about.

"I have no idea." He answered. She sighed and covered her face with her palm.

"I'd be about 300 years old, give or take." She gave him a smile, "I'm sorry, I'm not good at explaining these things. They were hardly relevant to remember for me." He smiled back at her and glanced at Braith.

"So how old is Braith then?"

"She's two." Gemma replied quickly. Dante gave her another curious look.

"Two? Like 200 hundred years old?" Gemma giggled.

"No. She's two. She wasn't born in Limbo..." Gemma's voice fainted at the end of her sentence. She didn't look like she wanted to talk more of it. Dante saw this and showed a light smile.

"Heh, should I call you an old lady then? Hell, even if I went by your 'human' age, you're still older than me." He chuckled and took a few bites of his pie. She lightly giggled and looked down at her daughter. The little girl got pizza sauce all over her cheeks, but she had finished her food. Gemma took a napkin and wiped the stains off. Braith winced, but stood still long enough for her mother to clean her up. Dante watched with gratify at the two.

"So what do you want to do now?" He asked, "You still haven't eaten any of this pizza." He looked at her plate, still occupied by a torn cheese pizza she picked at moments ago. She shook her head. Her appetite wasn't present it seemed and she gave the slice to Braith who gladly took it.

"If Braith eats, I'm full too." She replied and gave her daughter a genuine smile.

"That's the cheesiest thing I have ever heard." He said, realizing he just made a pun joke. He chuckled, which was followed by Gemma's giggle. She had an interesting giggle; it stuttered, but it was feminine and light compared to her speaking voice. Living the human life must have caught onto her without her knowing.

Dante saw Braith scarf her pizza thoroughly and clapped her hands. She looked at the adults for support; she wanted to be praised. Gemma smiled and picked up her daughter and kissed her cheek.

"Good girl!" Gemma smiled. Braith hugged her neck and looked at Dante. Immediately they all knew what that meant and before they stood up from the table, Braith was in Dante's arms once more. Gemma grabbed her papers from the booth and bundled them in her arm. She looked at Dante and Braith. It seemed he was a natural now at carrying her.

"So where are we going now?" Gemma asked.

"I asked you that." He irritatedly said, "Did you still want to job hunt or go walk around town?" Gemma crossed her arms and stared at the floor. Job hunting was the reason they were out and about, but after that fight, she wasn't sure. She just wanted to spend time with her daughter if she could get her away from Dante.

"I actually want to go home." She murmured, "I don't want to do anything more, really." Dante caught her response. She was the one who aspired to find a job, but to suggest going 'home' was unusual. Dante adjusted Braith in his arms.

"Really? You don't want to go have fun?"

"Fun? I'm not in the mood to do so." Dante frowned. He felt insulted she refused to do something exciting or entertaining. She just wanted to go home she said. Maybe being a mother made her this way. He didn't say more, but he smiled at Gemma and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. The sudden gesture confused Gemma, as she looked at his arm and then up at him.

"You know what?" He grinned, "You need to have fun. I'm taking you out tonight." Gemma furrowed her brows.

"What?! Why?! I said I want to go home." She reminded him, "Who will watch Braith if you and I 'go out' then? I don't know anyone." Dante thought for a moment, thinking of people who could take care of the little demon. He thought of Kat, but she wasn't in town as far as he knew. He really didn't know of anyone either, but retracing his steps since this morning, there was at least someone kind to _Gemma_. He smiled slyly.

"Don't worry about it. We can head home; I got everything covered." His voice curled the words he said as they left the pizza place. Gemma, still constrained by Dante's arm, kept glancing at the ground, at Braith, and to Dante. She wasn't sure whether she should decline harder or succumb to Dante's plans. She kept her mouth shut as they walked back to Bellevue Pier.

* * *

Gemma and Braith had arrived at Dante's trailer after little time. They sat on the couch together while stacking the aluminum cans on the coffee table. It seemed to be Braith's favorite playtime activity and as much as Gemma wanted to recycle the cans, she couldn't; her daughter's contentment was enough to suppress her feelings. Dante didn't enter the home like they did; last Gemma heard Dante say he was going to run an errand for a second and be right back. It was already about twenty minutes when he said that. Gemma thought of turning the television on, but went against it. She didn't understand society's chosen media. Suddenly the front door opened with a grinning Dante.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked, a sting of irritation left her throat. Dante shut the door behind him.

"I found a demon to watch your little demon." He joyfully said and looked at Braith. She stared at Dante while holding a can in her hands. Gemma, on the other hand, looked disgusted.

"Another demon?!" She asked, "What the hell?"

"I'm talking about that bag of wrinkles next door; she said she'd watch Braith for the night until tomorrow morning." Dante explained. Gemma wasn't amused by the name calling. It was odd to hear humans call each other names, either to their face or behind their backs. Gemma stood up, but Dante stopped her from walking by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Nah-uh, I'm taking her over there; you're going to make yourself pretty or at least look nice." He clicked his tongue against his cheek, making a clicking sound. Before Gemma could speak, Braith went to Dante and looked at her mother. Gemma looked back at her daughter and smiled at how calm she acted. Maybe her no-older-than-two-year-old-daughter was telling her something.

"Bye Mom!" Dante waved at Gemma with Braith repeating his action. Gemma watched Dante pick up her diaper bag and leave the trailer before Gemma could move. She stood there awkward and confused; her knees buckled and her hand found her other arm's elbow. She couldn't believe she was being forced to go somewhere and especially without her daughter. Her daughter had never left her side for no more than a few hours for simple reasons before. She started to wonder what her and Dante were going to do and possibly _where_ they were going. She decided she couldn't change the outcome now and left for the bathroom.

* * *

_**Author's**** Note:**_I think I said it before, but if you want to see the actual image of Gemma and Braith, visit my DeviantART profile page! My username there is also NinjaLink. If it's easier too, just search on DeviantART, "dmc oc gemma." If anything, she should pop up fast since there's not a lot of DmC Reboot Fan Characters. Thanks for reading so far!


	3. Search

**Chapter 3: Search**

The sound of flat-screen TV blurring on a static channel awoke Dante. He sat up on the couch and look over at the television. It was snowy and from a few feet away, Braith was staring at Dante with the TV remote in both her hands. She looked surprised, almost questioning with her expression on what to do. He grinned thinking she was confused and it was interesting to see a homeless child, a demon even, act strange. Immediately Braith waddled over to Dante and tried to hand him the remote with one hand. Her big brown eyes looked innocent and he couldn't help but smirk. It was...cute.

He took the remote from her and changed the channel to the local news channel. It wasn't the Raptor News like before but something more in-touch with humanity, which discussed acts of kindness from the city folk and such. He tossed the remote to the end of the couch. When he did, Braith stared at the TV intently.

Reminding him of distractions, he wondered where Braith's mother was. From his view, she wasn't lying in bed and the kitchen and bathroom appeared empty. He furrowed his brows, thinking she might have just dumped her child with him without a word. It angered him. Suddenly the front door opened and Gemma was seen carrying a bundle of newspapers in one arm. She looked content, but surprised when she looked out at Dante. Without accepting it out loud, he was relieved to see her, but she was missing for the moment.

"Where the hell did you go?" Dante glanced over at his alarm clock by the bed, "It's seven in the morning! Were you planning on ditching your spawn baby with me and just so happen to forget something?" Gemma frowned, insulted and glared at him. When the door slammed behind Gemma, Braith saw her mother and ran to hold her mother's leg.

"No! Why would I do that to my baby girl?!" She retorted, "I visited your neighbors for their classified sections." She explained by holding the papers out to him. He glanced at them and back at her. He thought it was weird that she decided to wake up and go off to get job ads, but leave her daughter with a complete stranger who happened to have taken down the strongest demon just a few months ago. He ruffled his white hair and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Are you fucking serious? You left your daughter here by herself."

"She was asleep when I left. Plus you're here." Her argument did have a point, but not valid enough. Dante huffed and stood up from the couch.

"You know what, never mind." He looked down at the papers and back at Gemma, "Why haven't you done this crap before you had even met me?"

"I have. The difference now though is I don't look too much like a slob...thanks to you." She explained. Dante noticed she did look a little different. Her hair didn't look greasy anymore and a bit wavier from the shower last night and she wasn't wearing her ugly torn jacket. Instead with her jeans with holey knees and long-sleeved, off-the-shoulders, purple shirt made her look less homeless than before. Even her pale skin was clean and considerably smooth from Dante's perspective. He had to agree, but he didn't want to drag on the argument any longer. Slight aches were hitting his head, which might possibly be a minor hangover from last night.

"Will you come with me?" Gemma suddenly asked. Dante's eyes widened; he didn't think she'd need help or assistance since she left without a word, but it didn't feel like too much trouble to wonder town again. He had nothing planned besides demon hunting and maybe drinking again later tonight. He grinned at her.

"As long as you don't get in my way, sure."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Look, I'll follow you around while you job hunt, but I'm a demon killer. I go around looking for demons to protect the humans." Gemma didn't say anything and stood quiet. She thought in silence because of yesterday how Dante and she happen to cross paths. Her eyes appeared depressed. In due time, she picked up Braith who hugged her mother around her neck. Dante slightly frowned.

"We'll head out after Braith gets a bath then." She started heading to the bathroom with Braith, "Thank you..." She said before closing the door. Dante walked to the kitchen and got a glass of water. He started thinking of how 'human' this Gemma woman acted. She was so different and her daughter was even worse. She didn't cry but the one time yesterday and had been pleasant enough to be around; even though this morning's interruption was a downside, she seemed like a good little halfling child. In a way, Braith was like Dante; they weren't human, but they lived in a human world with unnatural powers. Dante took a drink of his water and put his gloves on that he left on the counter. Demon hunting might be easier today since demons fought in packs and with Gemma and Braith around, maybe they'd be attracted to them. At least he'd be there right away.

* * *

About one half of an hour had past and Dante had put his jacket on and leaned against the front door. He felt irritated, waiting and bored out of his mind. He stared at the TV when Gemma and Braith were in the restroom. He heard the water running and Braith speaking gibberish happily with Gemma giggling. It was...nice to hear some sort of little-minded happiness in a demon-infested world. Even if they weren't human, it definitely had a nice ring to it. Gemma and Braith had exited the bathroom. Dante looked at them, seeing Braith looked clean compared to earlier. She wasn't smiling, but displayed a serious face as usual. The girl was strange. Gemma smirked.

"I'm guessing you're ready to go?" Gemma condescendingly said while noticing Dante in his overcoat.

"Like forever." He answered and opened the front door. The sunlight was bright and made the air warm. Gemma could feel the heat enter the trailer home.

"Won't you be hot in that jacket?"

"I'm already hot, don't you see?" Dante replied with a smirk. Gemma, staring at Dante, returned the smirk. She seemed amused by his answer and headed for the door Dante held open.

"Thank you." She said with Braith staring back at Dante. Suddenly the girl jerked from her mom's arms and raised her own.

"What is it, baby?" Gemma asked kindly. Braith, gazing at Dante, was reaching for Dante as though she wanted him to hold her. Dante frowned in surprise.

"What's she doing?" He asked. Braith reaches out for Dante. Gemma smiled genuinely and held Braith out to him.

"She wants you to carry her, it seems." She mused. Dante frowned in disgust, but not in sickening but unsure. He never held an infant before for leisure reasons, but knowing Braith as little as he did, he held his hands out to her. She wasn't a bad kid, as far as he knew.

"Give her here." He said in defeat. Braith grabbed onto Dante's shoulders and held onto him as his arms cushioned under her. She stared up at him while he looked down at her. Gemma just smiled and adjusted the diaper bag over her shoulder more appropriately.

"Alright." She said with Dante and Braith behind her. Gemma, seeing her daughter acting content with someone else, felt reassuring.

* * *

Gemma sat quietly with her hands on her lap and her back straight. She was nervous, staring at a petite, elder woman across from her. She was looking thoroughly at Gemma's signed job application with her eyes peering down contently. The woman then set the papers down and looked at Gemma. She didn't seem quaint to have Gemma here. Gemma placed a genuine smile to her.

"You don't have a last name, I presume? I see you didn't write it on here." The woman said while glancing at the application again. Gemma's eyes widened; how she forgot to pick a 'last name' was beyond her. She quickly tried to remember names she saw and heard. Let's see: Ryder? No, that was Mundus's persona when he was alive. Smith? Johnson? Thomas? She looked out the window of the office to see Dante sitting on the bench with Braith. The poor guy was getting his nose and ears pulled by the curious toddler. It suddenly dawned on Gemma; she knew Dante by subtle image, but his lineage was beyond memorable by all demons. He was a son of Sparda.

"It's Sparda! Gemma Sparda." She replied confidently. The lady added her reply by writing on the application for Gemma.

"Okay, Ms.-" The lady stopped and remembered seeing Dante and Braith before the interview, "Mrs. Sparda, tell me about yourself." Gemma noticed her correction, but she didn't want to drag the subject on.

"Eh...well, I'm just a stay-at-home mom. Now." She giggled nervously, "I'm uh, 26, and I didn't attend college because I was studying abroad after...what do they call it...high school!" Gemma smiled, trying to use her cover story to sway the woman. Gemma knew if she revealed her true identity, panic would raise the roof. The elder frowned and raised a brow.

"I see. Thank you, Mrs. Sparda. We'll call you. Have a nice day." The interviewer said and spun away from the desk. Gemma frowned, stood up and walked out. A wave of disappointment came over Gemma as she met up with Dante and her girl in the lobby. Braith stopped pulling Dante's cheek when she saw her mother.

"Hey." Dante greeted, "How'd it go?" Dante held Braith's hands away from his face. Gemma shrugged and sighed.

"I think I did not do well. She said she'd call me. She didn't ask me anything else."

"How is she going to call you when you don't have a phone? I don't even have a phone." Gemma looked up at him. He looked genuinely curious rather than annoyed. She found it interesting and smiled.

"Your neighbor was kind enough to lend hers when needed." She explained.

"Are you talking about that creepy old lady next door? She's always grumpy when she sees me." Dante remembered the lady; she was wrinkly and always slurred at Dante when he played his music loud at night.

"She was really kind to me though..." Gemma said and looked at Braith. She seemed content in Dante's arms as she played with his jacket collar.

"Where do you want to go now?" Dante asked. This place was the third business they visited and all seemed to respond the same to Gemma. As well as Gemma's luck, Dante hadn't encountered any demons yet. Carrying a spawn a bit longer might help though.

"I'm not sure; although I have all these listings, most of them want people with 'experience' in the field." Gemma stared at the papers. Dante smirked.

"Let's go eat or something then." He implied, "We've been out for hours already." Dante stood up with Braith in his arms and she pouted. Gemma stared at the two; they acted so calm and content with each other, Gemma worried. She hoped Braith didn't get attached to him, but it appeared the past hours changed that. Gemma just grinned.

"Yeah, let's go." Gemma and the two left the building and started down the sidewalk. It was slightly cooler than this morning, but something about the aura of this street reeked heavily. Gemma couldn't understand why this feeling came. Suddenly the door behind them propped open viciously.

"You're not going anywhere." Dante and Gemma turned to see the elderly lady from Gemma's interview stand there. Her eyes were black and her cheeks had dripped black ooze. Her veins were popping out and her hair turned to slime.

"She's a demon?!" Gemma shouted, "How did I—"

"Finally! It's about time one of you fucking demons showed up!" Dante handed Braith to Gemma and reached for his appeared sword, Rebellion, from his back, "I was starting to get itchy." The woman crackled wickedly and her skin shed off. Her body appeared porcelain and constructed of black ooze. She was a lesser Stygian and her arm blade appeared with a ripping sound of the skin.

"Son of Sparda!" She yelled, "Who knew you'd find a whore woman to take your name? You'll rot in hell!" From behind the Stygian, more Stygians transmuted from the building's walls and appeared before Dante and the girls. Gemma showed fright and held Braith tightly.

"You shut the fuck up!" Dante hollered and slashed at the Stygian. He heard the demon, but he didn't have time now to dwell on it. One by one, he struck them with a slash and hacked and shot the ones distant from them with his guns. One fell to the ground, but before it could stand up, Dante pulled it with his grappling hook and punched the creature in the face once it reached him. Gemma stared in awe; she didn't sense or see the demon in disguise during her interview; she couldn't believe she didn't see it. It surprised her more to see Dante, killer of Mundus, fight before her. He fought with style and ease, as though he was used to this.

"Don't fuck with me, you pricks!" Dante yelled and summoned Aquila to collect the demons towards him. Once they surrounded him, Dante created a Tornado with Aquila, sucking the demons into the whirlwind and gradually the demons split in bits and pieces with orbs falling out of them. The last Stygian suffered a dramatic blow through its limbs and it ended. Dante stopped his footing and looked around for more demons. Luckily, there were no more. He relinquished his weapon and looked back at Gemma and Braith. The two stood behind the corner of the building they were in moments ago, looking around the edge to see if the fight had ended. The stepped out. They were demons and hiding from the fight, Dante thought, why would they? Can't they protect themselves? Maybe acting as humans for so long got to them.

"You two okay?" Dante asked and walked up to them. Gemma and Braith stepped out and gazed at him.

"I can't believe I didn't sense them." Gemma said in a low mutter, "Are you okay?" She asked, looking at him intently for bruises or cuts. He shrugged and dusted his hands together.

"That was just a warm up." He grinned, "I'm fine." Gemma smiled and looked at Braith. The little girl wanted Dante to carry her again. It was unbelievable that this infant wanted so much attention from him. Dante, without saying anything, took Braith from Gemma and looked at Braith's mother.

"So, you want pizza?" He asked. He asked so calmly as though he didn't just fight a few demons.

"Uh…sure?" Gemma looked puzzled. Dante walked past her with Braith and down the sidewalk. Braith started pullling at Dante's hair strands lightly. He didn't seem to mind since he had a different thought on his mind.

"Good." He said, "I got questions for you that need answers." With that said, Dante didn't a say word more while Gemma followed, curious to what he meant.

* * *

_**Author's Note**_: Hmm…the fight scene could have been cooler. Sorry. I'm just trying to meet my quota on my word count. Thanks for reading and reviews so far! I hope you stay tuned!


	4. Difference

**Chapter 4: Difference  
**

The restaurant was musty, but the decorations and structure seemed stable. The only problems with this pizza place were its shattered windows and a few broken chairs. The tan paint on the walls had a faint glow and the trimmings had grapes and vines for design. It felt foreign and dirty at the same time. The destruction from Mundus' terror impacted the city as a whole, but it was unbelievable that some architecture, such as this one, was still stable. This part of town surprisingly was more active than where they were after Gemma's job interview.

"You're not going to eat?" Dante asked as he held a slice of pizza in his hands. Across from him, Gemma stared at the pie with her hands on her lap. Next to her was Braith who contently ate the food in tiny bites. Gemma looked up at Dante.

"You said you had questions for me." She started, "What are they?" Dante bit into his food and chewed; he stared out the window and at the bar counter where a few workers stood, chatting amongst themselves. He looked at her.

"That demon said you took my name. What did that mean?" He asked. His voice secreted seriousness.

"For the interview, I used…your reputation name: Son of Sparda." She continued, "I said my name was Gemma Sparda. She told me I didn't have a last name written on my application." She avoided his stare by looking at her food. He frowned.

"Why didn't you?"

"I never needed one. At least, when I started living as a human, it never occurred to me. I've only lived as a human for two years before you…killed Mundus." She picked up her pie slice and instead of eating, she started to pick off the pepperoni and tossed them on her plate. Her statement made Dante think more; this female demon had so many secrets and he wanted to know all of them. As far as he knew, she was a demon living in disguise as a human with her hybrid child. This new information made Dante want to ask more.

"Why did you start pretending to be human? What kind of demon are you? Did you work for that bastard Mundus then?" He asked and took another bite from his pizza. The questions had pause Gemma. She didn't expect him to ask so much or want to know more of her. He was just her temporary shelter until she obtained a job. But guessing from the attachment Braith made with Dante, she couldn't abandon her daughter's wishes. She put her pepperoni-free pizza down onto her plate and looked at Dante. He was staring at her with his pizza cheese stringing down from the crust.

"No, I didn't 'work' for that so-called demon king. I'm a Stygian under this skin, an elite fighter in the circle's rank. Although, it may be hard to believe, it was easy to wear this disguise." She added, "…I became human for personal reasons. I don't want to talk about it." She looked at Braith, still nibbling on her pizza, and then out the window. A few people walked by, cheerfully talking about the restoration of the neighborhood and nonsense.

Dante was searching Gemma's face for hidden answers in her reaction. She was a Stygian, just like the demons from earlier. That might explain the stretch marks on her hips and thighs from last night, but she had a cesarean scar under her belly. From what he remembered, Lilith's child spawned in enormous amounts of flesh from her back. Yet Gemma's skin looked clean and smooth compared to that wench. All of it did except that disfigured scar on her body.

"You became human for personal reasons, heh?" Dante said, "The 'dying demon plague' I started was too much for you or what?" He joked and finished his slice of pizza. Gemma looked at him and he had a smirk on his face. She returned the smirk and shook her head.

"No, it wasn't that." She replied, "It just felt like…hell." She muttered and rested her elbow on the table. Her hand found her cheek and she cradled her cheek in her palm. Dante continued staring at her; her pale skin had glimmer a tinge of purple, but highlighted her cheekbones. She looked young, but the bags under her eyes told a different story. He was curious again.

"How old are you, Gemma?"

"What?" She looked at him in surprise. It was such a straightforward question; it caught her off-guard.

"You heard me. What color panties are you wearing?"

"That's not what you said!" He laughed and grabbed another slice from the pizza platter. She frowned first, but smiled at him.

"I asked how old you are." He said, "Like, are you 100 years old or something?"

"I'm 26." She replied, casual about her answer. Dante tilted his head in shock. He made a face at her. She didn't smile or frown, but stared at him.

"No fucking way." He said, "I'm 23. How are you only a few years older than me? Aren't demons supposed to be older than the hills?"

"I'm 26 if you convert my 'demon age' into human years." She answered, "Demons generally don't age, Dante. I'm sure you've seen them all; they all don't have wrinkles unless they were made that way. Plus, demons don't go by 'human' time;' Limbo was scheduled by circles."

"Circles? What does that mean?" His curiosity made Gemma feel annoyed, but it was interesting to see him so enticed by her heritage.

"Uh…well, time technically stands still in Limbo, right? Time is actually there; it's just very slow. I supposed the circle might be…about a century long? I don't know. For example, I have lived through about 3 circles of Limbo, so I'm…?" She waved her hand at him for his answer. He gave her a dumbfound look. Braith gave her mother a content disposition, looking as though she wanted to know what they were talking about.

"I have no idea." He answered. She sighed and covered her face with her palm.

"I'd be about 300 years old, give or take." She gave him a smile, "I'm sorry, I'm not good at explaining these things. They were hardly relevant to remember for me." He smiled back at her and glanced at Braith.

"So how old is Braith then?"

"She's two." Gemma replied quickly. Dante gave her another curious look.

"Two? Like 200 hundred years old?" Gemma giggled.

"No. She's two. She wasn't born in Limbo..." Gemma's voice fainted at the end of her sentence. She didn't look like she wanted to talk more of it. Dante saw this and showed a light smile.

"Heh, should I call you an old lady then? Hell, even if I went by your 'human' age, you're still older than me." He chuckled and took a few bites of his pie. She lightly giggled and looked down at her daughter. The little girl got pizza sauce all over her cheeks, but she had finished her food. Gemma took a napkin and wiped the stains off. Braith winced, but stood still long enough for her mother to clean her up. Dante watched with gratify at the two.

"So what do you want to do now?" He asked, "You still haven't eaten any of this pizza." He looked at her plate, still occupied by a torn cheese pizza she picked at moments ago. She shook her head. Her appetite wasn't present it seemed and she gave the slice to Braith who gladly took it.

"If Braith eats, I'm full too." She replied and gave her daughter a genuine smile.

"That's the cheesiest thing I have ever heard." He said, realizing he just made a pun joke. He chuckled, which was followed by Gemma's giggle. She had an interesting giggle; it stuttered, but it was feminine and light compared to her speaking voice. Living the human life must have caught onto her without her knowing.

Dante saw Braith scarf her pizza thoroughly and clapped her hands. She looked at the adults for support; she wanted to be praised. Gemma smiled and picked up her daughter and kissed her cheek.

"Good girl!" Gemma smiled. Braith hugged her neck and looked at Dante. Immediately they all knew what that meant and before they stood up from the table, Braith was in Dante's arms once more. Gemma grabbed her papers from the booth and bundled them in her arm. She looked at Dante and Braith. It seemed he was a natural now at carrying her.

"So where are we going now?" Gemma asked.

"I asked you that." He irritatedly said, "Did you still want to job hunt or go walk around town?" Gemma crossed her arms and stared at the floor. Job hunting was the reason they were out and about, but after that fight, she wasn't sure. She just wanted to spend time with her daughter if she could get her away from Dante.

"I actually want to go home." She murmured, "I don't want to do anything more, really." Dante caught her response. She was the one who aspired to find a job, but to suggest going 'home' was unusual. Dante adjusted Braith in his arms.

"Really? You don't want to go have fun?"

"Fun? I'm not in the mood to do so." Dante frowned. He felt insulted she refused to do something exciting or entertaining. She just wanted to go home she said. Maybe being a mother made her this way. He didn't say more, but he smiled at Gemma and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. The sudden gesture confused Gemma, as she looked at his arm and then up at him.

"You know what?" He grinned, "You need to have fun. I'm taking you out tonight." Gemma furrowed her brows.

"What?! Why?! I said I want to go home." She reminded him, "Who will watch Braith if you and I 'go out' then? I don't know anyone." Dante thought for a moment, thinking of people who could take care of the little demon. He thought of Kat, but she wasn't in town as far as he knew. He really didn't know of anyone either, but retracing his steps since this morning, there was at least someone kind to _Gemma_. He smiled slyly.

"Don't worry about it. We can head home; I got everything covered." His voice curled the words he said as they left the pizza place. Gemma, still constrained by Dante's arm, kept glancing at the ground, at Braith, and to Dante. She wasn't sure whether she should decline harder or succumb to Dante's plans. She kept her mouth shut as they walked back to Bellevue Pier.

* * *

Gemma and Braith had arrived at Dante's trailer after little time. They sat on the couch together while stacking the aluminum cans on the coffee table. It seemed to be Braith's favorite playtime activity and as much as Gemma wanted to recycle the cans, she couldn't; her daughter's contentment was enough to suppress her feelings. Dante didn't enter the home like they did; last Gemma heard Dante say he was going to run an errand for a second and be right back. It was already about twenty minutes when he said that. Gemma thought of turning the television on, but went against it. She didn't understand society's chosen media. Suddenly the front door opened with a grinning Dante.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked, a sting of irritation left her throat. Dante shut the door behind him.

"I found a demon to watch your little demon." He joyfully said and looked at Braith. She stared at Dante while holding a can in her hands. Gemma, on the other hand, looked disgusted.

"Another demon?!" She asked, "What the hell?"

"I'm talking about that bag of wrinkles next door; she said she'd watch Braith for the night until tomorrow morning." Dante explained. Gemma wasn't amused by the name calling. It was odd to hear humans call each other names, either to their face or behind their backs. Gemma stood up, but Dante stopped her from walking by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Nah-uh, I'm taking her over there; you're going to make yourself pretty or at least look nice." He clicked his tongue against his cheek, making a clicking sound. Before Gemma could speak, Braith went to Dante and looked at her mother. Gemma looked back at her daughter and smiled at how calm she acted. Maybe her no-older-than-two-year-old-daughter was telling her something.

"Bye Mom!" Dante waved at Gemma with Braith repeating his action. Gemma watched Dante pick up her diaper bag and leave the trailer before Gemma could move. She stood there awkward and confused; her knees buckled and her hand found her other arm's elbow. She couldn't believe she was being forced to go somewhere and especially without her daughter. Her daughter had never left her side for no more than a few hours for simple reasons before. She started to wonder what her and Dante were going to do and possibly _where_ they were going. She decided she couldn't change the outcome now and left for the bathroom.

* * *

_**Author's**** Note:**_If you want to see the actual image of Gemma and Braith, visit my DeviantART profile page! My username there is also NinjaLink. If it's easier too, just search on DeviantART, "dmc oc gemma." If anything, she should pop up fast since there's not a lot of DmC Reboot Fan Characters. Thanks for reading so far!


	5. Close

**Chapter 5: Close**

She couldn't believe she was doing this. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She found a rubber band a few days ago before finding shelter with Dante; her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She hated it; it gave her strain to her head and it didn't feel normal. Living as a homeless human was content enough for her, but to attend a night out with someone she met yesterday was overwhelming. A knock came to the bathroom door.

"What are you doing in there?" It was Dante, sounding impatient. Gemma quickly splashed water on her skin and opened the door. Dante was standing there, hands in his pants pockets and a monotone stare. His expression changed when he saw her hair pulled back.

"Hey, you put your hair back. It looks nice." Gemma glanced away and back into his eyes. She wasn't sure how to respond. She looked at him and he grinned, "Let's go if you're ready."

He walked away and headed to the door. Gemma was surprised; as impatient as he acted, he was prepared to leave. She walked over to him, staring at the back of his head. Suddenly, she thought of her little girl Braith. Her little girl was staying over for the night at a stranger's house and she felt uncomfortable with the situation. She wanted to go get her and stay here. She looked at Dante who was staring back at her. She contained her thoughts, not wanting to talk about Braith or the neighbor.

"What?" He asked; she shook her head and smiled.

"It's nothing." She replied while tucking a hair strand behind her ear, "Where are we going then?" Her curiosity was blunt; he still hadn't told her where they were off to. Dante grinned and opened the front door.

"You'll see. Let's just say it's been awhile since _I_ went out for fun too." He said and grabbed her hand and exit through the door, leaving the trailer home to have a lonely night.

* * *

The place was raging with excitement and color. The music was loud and the crowds of dancers were in trance by the dub. The strobe lights were bright and colorful; most of the lights flickered to the beat of the music while the people wore neon necklaces and bracelets. Gemma stared in awe as Dante stood behind her. The people around them crowded them and showed no respect as they passed by. She was nervous; the hordes of people on the dance floor and at the bar amazed her. She felt Dante grab her hand like before. She figured he did so to avoid separation. She looked back at Dante who was grinning.

"So what do you want to?!" Dante yelled through the sound wave. Gemma arched her brows, confused at what he said. She looked around and saw drinks served at the bar counter. She tilted her head back for Dante to hear well.

"I want a drink! I'm getting thirsty!" She yelled at him, hoping he understood. He replied to her with a sly smile. Without saying a word, he pulled her by the hand through the people and to the bar in the middle of the room. They arrived at the counter between couples, seeing the numerous amounts of alcoholic bottles on the shelves. The light that brightened the bar was hot pink and green; although the lighting behind them was striving, the bar was bright enough to illuminate the particular area of the large room. Gemma looked for the bartender who stood at the other end of the bar. He was smiling and sliding drinks to a couple of ladies, occupied by their promiscuous behavior. Gemma leaned over the counter to stretch her voice out to the bartender.

"Excuse me?! Excuse me!" Gemma waved her arm but he heeded no attention. Dante saw Gemma's digression and whistled to the barkeep for it. The high pitch ring caught his view.

"Hey! I need a drink for my lady friend!" He waved at the dude in a propped manner and the bartender looked at Dante and then grinned at Gemma. She looked up at Dante. It must have been the way Dante's choice of words and actions help achieve their chosen activity. Although she didn't understand their interaction, she was tempted to learn.

"Is it normal for humans-I mean, guys to do that?" She asked, hoping people around her ignored her verbal mistake. It would have been strange and awkward for others to question her phrase. Dante smirked at the pale woman.

"It's just the night life scheme; you'll get used to it!" Dante yelled, but the sound of the beating music muffled his words. Gemma thought of what he said; to get used to this liveliness didn't fit Gemma's choice of lifestyle. Suddenly a shot glass appeared before Gemma.

She stared down at it, seeing the liquor sit still in the hourglass-shaped drink. It was golden and fizzy; she wasn't sure if that was normal and held the shot glass with her shaky hand. She looked up at Dante who stood next to her and had signal the bar keep with a wave of two fingers. She watched the bartender reach under the counter and pull out two bottles of beer. He slid them to Dante who gladly opened one and started to chug it down. Gemma stared in awe; she couldn't fathom the sociology of this nature. She looked at her drink again, but was stopped by her companion.

"You got to swallow it all or else you'll need a chaser!" He smiled.

"A chaser? What's that?!" She asked, yet suddenly her ponytail was pulled down, tilting her head back.

Before she could gasp, she saw her double shot glass being carried to her lips. She shuttered and glanced at the hand holding the drink; frankly it was Dante's unmistakable gloved hand. She couldn't stop the drink from coming and instead parted her lips. Once the edge of the drink touched her skin, she swallowed the double shot. The sting and burn of the alcohol rushed down her throat and it was over before she knew she finished it. She exhaled heavily and looked at Dante. He was laughing as he put the glass down.

"Did you like it?!" He asked, still yelling over the sound of the trance music. Her eyes watered as she stared at Dante. The alcohol was rushing through her body; she never felt this way before. The consumption of liquor hit her immediately, causing her thinking to fuzz and hurt. Her tolerance to the beverage lacked and she rubbed her eyes.

"It's rushing to my head!" She replied. She peered through her fingers at Dante to see he finished the second bottle of beer he obtained. He exhaled and looked down at the black-haired woman.

"Dance with me." He yelled awkwardly calmly and his hand reached for one of hers. She frowned and looked at the crowd, seeing how provocative they swayed to the music. She shook her burning head, but he frankly didn't take that as her answer. Instead, he pulled her out from the bar counter and towards the dance floor. She wasn't accustomed to this ritual; being forced into a crowd of ecstatic dancers. Dante pulled her close to him and leaned his head over her shoulder.

"What? Don't you know how to dance?!" He asked in her ear. She shook her head again, expressing a frightened appearance. She wanted to go home or at least into a quiet place. The music and people were too much. The alcohol she consumed made her feel dizzy. She looked up at the stage lights, seeing the rainbow of colors flash her into a trance. It suddenly began to feel comfortable to her. She blamed the alcohol.

Dante's hands found her hips, surprising her in the process. She looked up at him; his face was red and his sly grin was impeccable. Out of all the commotion and humans she dealt with, Dante's presence made her worries pass; although, he was the trouble who forced her to come here and drink the shot, she was glad he didn't leave her to fend for herself.

"Here, sway your hips to the beat." He instructed, more calmly than forceful. She shook nervously, but did as told. Her hands found his shoulders for balance and abruptly she found herself lost in the music. It came so easily to her now, with the liquor flowing through her body. She felt loose and energetic, awfully feeling happy with this newfound freedom.

"Yeah! That's it! You got it!" He chuckled and he tried to keep her close from swaying and bouncing far from him. She gazed up at him and smiled; she couldn't believe she was having fun. Fun she never experienced since she became human. Her worries of living a content life and all the concerns she carried fell apart as she swayed in Dante's hands. She started to giggle and her hands streamed to his neck.

The stranger in front of her had treated her and her daughter as a friend since they met and this newfound friend seemed to be her comfort from both peace and chaos. She wasn't going to let the feeling die. It was either the ecstasy, the energy of the sound and crowd around her or the happiness she finally felt that led her to dance.

* * *

The morning's sun had yet to come; it was hours away from sunshine as the two companions sat together in the underground subway. It was humid and dusty, but luckily thanks to the hardworking folks, the subway at least ran in decent condition. They left after an hour from midnight, believing their energy would drain quickly once they reached home.

Dante leaned against Gemma, his shoulder pressed hard towards hers. The amount of alcohol he consumed made him lazy; Gemma, on the other hand, was feeling less hot and fuzzy compared to earlier. Her head didn't sting, but her body ached and her muscles were exhausted from the excessive energy she let out. She yawned and looked at her tired dance partner. He stared off into the empty space of the subway's window; his eyes were glazed.

"Dante?" She slowly reached for her pants' pocket, "Are you awake?" His attention shot at her quickly. She hoped he didn't react so suddenly, but she didn't stop reaching and shuffling her fingers in her pocket.

"Yeah, why?" He asked, slightly slurred in speech, "Got something on your mind?" She shrugged in thinking he'd understand her body language in the awkward sitting position they were in. He looked back at the empty space he had lazily appreciated earlier. In her fingers, Gemma pulled out a lighter and a single, bent cigarette from her pocket. She cautiously shifted her body to avoid interrupting Dante's consciousness and lit the cigarette. The smoke lifted, yet Dante saw and looked at her. He frowned.

"You smoke?! When did you start?" He asked, expressing a bit of disappointment and surprise in his tone. Gemma inhaled the cigarette's chemicals, sucked the smoke deep through her throat, and exhaled calmly. She stared at the burning ashes of the cigarette's tip.

"I actually started before I was human. Cigarettes were different in Limbo." She explained with another inhale, "I don't buy them; I find them all the time around the city. I just don't try to smoke around Braith." She looked down at Dante, seeing his white hair swayed over her shoulder. He frankly slumped from his seat, lying on the curve of the subway's bench with the middle of his back and his head against Gemma's arm. He seemed non-response, possibly passing out from the exhaustion and comfort by her.

Gemma inhaled her cigarette deeply again and stared at her hands. They were sweaty and warm; although, they stopped dancing just before they came on the subway; her soberness came to her beforehand. She noticed a few more things about her hands and wrists. She pulled up her sleeves to look at her arms. Something wasn't right. Either it was the dancing or alcohol affecting her, but her skin was damp and very wrinkly. This wasn't a normal situation for her; it's been a long time as well since she had her skin repaired. She looked at Dante and then her arms, thinking she'll do what she had to do first. She was going to take Dante home and then she had to do what needed to be done. She inhaled her cigarette for a prolong moment before flicking the cigarette butt to the floor and stomping on it.


End file.
